Look At Me
by FireLordFrowny
Summary: Over the years, Toph and Zuko have grown to be very close friends. Things get complicated when feelings get too deep.
1. Friends

**Author's Note: **I didn't think I'd have to explicitly state this, considering that the summary implies that this story takes place years after the war, but no, Toph is NOT 12 in this fic, and Zuko is NOT 16. They're more like 18/19ish and 22/23ish, respectively. So please, enjoy a 100% age-appropriate romance fic.

-Firelord Frowny

...

She shows affection by punching his biceps and with backhanded compliments. He accepts them because he has learned to feel the fondness in her fists.

He shows appreciation by happily accepting her crassness. She belches and swears and picks her toes, and all their friends groan and complain, but he smiles.

Together they laugh at an inside-joke. "You had to be there," They explain, when asked what was so funny. They stifle more laughter. Their friends' confusion makes it funnier.

She whacks his shoulder, grinning.

"I know, I know." He says. The friends think they must have a secret language.


	2. Kindred Spirits

#2

She loves all her friends, of course, but they're all so… annoying.

Twinkle-Toes, with his nonstop positivity,

Sugarqueen, always with her cleanliness, so prim and proper, and her innate compulsion to nurture,

Sokka's bad jokes and food puns, and that weird, crooked moustache he's been trying to grow…

Suki is okay most of the time, but eh, a little too excitable.

The lot of them are all well and good, but like any family, man, they can get pretty unbearable.

When she sees Zuko again, they will enjoy complaining together - snickering and rolling their eyes and poking harmless fun.


	3. No Questions

#3

The thing he enjoys most about her is that he need not say a word for her to know what or how he is feeling.

It is also the thing he hates.

It means she never pesters him with useless and exhausting questions - _how are you, what's wrong, are you feeling okay -_ and that is fine. That is good. He likes that part.

But when he is low - when the darkness inside him swells and grows heavy, there is no luxury of pretending.

Toph always knows, and she never lets him leave until she can feel him feeling better.


	4. Dear Old Dad

#4

The resemblance makes him sick.

The soft features of his mid-teenage years have sharpened and matured to favor the sunken, square angles of his predecessor. Zuko_ is_ his father's son, whether anyone likes it or not.

But maybe it's mostly in his head. He asks Katara, "Do I look like my father? Tell the truth. Please."

She considers him critically and sympathetically before saying, "Only when you scowl like that."

"I see."

Zuko spends a lot of time scowling.

He reaches up and touches the waxy skin of his scar, halfway thankful that his father did not have one.


	5. Not Me

She can tell when he is looking at Katara because his heart will start doing backflips. It's so unfair, she thinks, that she can't simply look away and spare herself.

No, she can always feel him loving her whenever the waterbender is near - he swoons, he sighs, and he tries to enjoy her as much as he can from a respectful distance.

_I don't care, I don't care, I don't care._

She's been chanting the mantra for years.

Maybe if she keeps at it it will become true.

_I don't love him. Not like that. Not me. Never me. _


	6. Blind

Everyone dresses up for King Kuei's abdication ceremony. Firelord Zuko stands at the podium, delivering a moving speech in Kuei's honor.

The audience all gives him the same look. In their eyes, he is much less "Zuko," and much more "Ozai's Son." It makes him want to burn the rest of his face off.

But in the front row sits Toph. Her eyes, opaque and unconcerned, stare in front of her and she smiles. She knows he is nervous, but he sounds honest and strong.

He focuses on her. His confidence grows tenfold.

The applause is thunderous when he finishes.


	7. Politics

#7

After the ceremony, the new, young Earth Queen thanks him for such a stirring speech. "You did my father justice," she smiles.

"He was a great King, and you will be an exquisite queen," Zuko says - not as much because he believs it as much as it is because he is supposed to say it. Politics, and all.

"You know," the queen gives a suggestive nod to where his friends gather around Kuei, "you've got a great girl over there waiting for you to get your head together."

Zuko smiles. He doesn't realize she is not talking about Katara.


	8. Weather

#8

Their most intimate secret is that they are both terrified of thunderstorms. He hates the lightning and she despises the thunder.

Outside the weather rages on, noisy and chaotic and dangerous.

Toph doesn't knock before entering - she knows he isn't able to sleep.

Zuko is sitting straight up in bed, and she clamors up close beside him.

Lightning strikes and she squeezes his hand; he swears he can feel electricity burning in his chest.

Thunder roars and he wraps his arm around her; the sound makes her head feel like it is exploding.

They only embrace when it storms.


	9. Pretty

#9

He wakes up and Toph is beside him. It startles him at first - he didn't remember either of them falling asleep, and he certainly didn't remember her nestling against his side the way she is now.

Carefully, slowly, quietly, he slips his arm from underneath her head, slides his torso out from underneath her hand, and then… looks at her.

Toph is pretty in a way he never noticed - maybe it's harder to see when she's cursing and burping and scratching her armpits.

But she is pretty, in a silky, floral way.

He carries her to her room.


	10. Earth

#10

She told everyone she went to practice earthbending outside the wall, but she is really smashing her feelings.

She does not know what to do with _feelings_ other than destroy them.

Obliterating boulders with her forehead and punching her bare fists through rocks reminds her that she is independent.

She is the strongest person she knows, no doubt.

She is the greatest earthbender in the _world_, without contest. She is a force all her own.

The sensation of solid earth yielding at her will keeps her grounded,

and she doesn't need anyone - especially not him.

(Except maybe during thunderstorms.)


	11. Faces

#11

_Don't look at me, don't look at me, don't look at me._

But when you're the leader of the most powerful and influential nation on the planet, people are sure to stare.

When you're the son of the most prolific tyrant history has ever seen and you've grown into his spitting image, people won't take their eyes off of you.

The townspeople have gathered to catch a glimpse of the Firelord on his way to meet with Queen Kuai. They push and shove for a clear view. He looks dead ahead, doing his best to ignore.

He is scowling again.


	12. Rude

Toph likes to get on Katara's nerves.

It's totally rude, and extremely petty, but today she doesn't care.

"Toph, stop leaving your dirty dishes everywhere!"

"Toph, did you leave a half-eaten melon on the porch?"

"Toph, would you please chew with your mouth closed?"

"TOPH, ARE THESE YOUR _TOENAIL_ CLIPPINGS ON THE _DINNER_ TABLE?"

Katara is ranting and raving and wagging her finger at Toph,

and Zuko,

Zuko is smiling.

"WHAT are you SMILING for?"

He says, "Settle down, Sugarqueen."

"EXCUSE ME? You two are SO INSUFFERABLE!"

Katara rants some more.

Toph and Zuko are not listening. They are laughing.


	13. Weather, pt 2

The weather has been gnarly lately. It storms again, but Zuko is not in his room when she goes there looking for him.

She enters anyway.

Thunder crashes. Her heart jolts.

She feels around to find where he left his robe on the bedpost, shrugs into it, and lies down in bed. The sheets smell just like him and she inhales, breathing in all the comfort she can.

Until he returns from… _wherever_ he is, the robe and his bed and his scent will have to suffice.

She sinks deeper into the pillows and blankets.

She'll wait here for him.


	14. Late

He drags himself in, soaking wet and exhausted and sniffling - maybe from the cold, maybe from intense emotions, who knows? He doesn't.

He is busy peeling off wet clothes when he notices her, slumbering to the gentle sound of drizzling rain. If he wasn't so tired, he'd smile. Instead, he just sighs.

She's curled up on her side and hugging his pillow - her hair strewn in wild wisps, obscuring her face.

_She's really pretty…_

But she shouldn't be in his bed…

But somehow he likes that she's there.

He crawls in beside her and is asleep in moments.


	15. Seeing

She's nervous.

Zuko is beside her, snoring gently. It's the only time she can think of where she genuinely wishes she can see. As she reaches out, her heart thuds like mad.

Trembling fingertips make contact with warm skin - she traces the shape of his arm as lightly as she can,

Traveling up his bicep,

the shoulder,

his chest -

His skin is ridged and dotted with raised scars, large and small.

She thinks he is wonderfully imperfect.

Suddenly the pattern of his breathing changes.

She freezes with her fingers still resting against his collar bones.

Then sleepily,

"...Toph?"


	16. Feeling

#16

Her body goes cold with embarrassment.

"Um… you can, uh, you can go ahead and kill me now."

Zuko says, "It's okay. Finish."

Her hands aren't soft or smooth - they're tough and calloused, and she isn't incredibly gentle, but he can tell she's trying.

She holds her breath, imagining the square angles of his jawline and chin,

Sliding her fingers over his lips and across his cheeks.

_He's beautiful._

He watches her carefully - she's fascinated and timid. Her hands stop just shy of the burn. She's afraid.

"Go on," he breathes, almost too softly to hear. "It's okay."

...

#16.5

When she feels it, her horror betrays her as her mouth falls open, drawing in a startled breath.

The skin is rubbery, thick, and uneven, like an animal's hide. And as she explores she wonders, _where does it end?_ She hadn't imagined the injury to be so hideously expansive…

"_Oh…"_ the word escapes in a sympathetic and frightened gasp when she feels the tightened flesh around his disfigured eye. She begins to tremble.

The fear he sees in her face makes him feel sick.

She withdraws her hands.

"Zuko… I…"

"Don't say anything."

"But I -"

"It's okay. Just go."


	17. Busy

The Firelord has _so much_ important business to attend to. He has papers to sign and messages to respond to and meetings to go to and oh, he's so busy! Or at least, that's the excuse he's using to avoid her… _In my defense_, he thinks, _it's not _completely_ untrue._

It isn't that he doesn't want to see her - no, not that at all. Toph is his confidante. One of his most trusted advisors. His best friend.

He just doesn't know what to say.

And he worries about what _she_ might say.

_Stay busy._

He distracts himself with work.


	18. Monster

She comes to him to apologize. Toph isn't good at apologies. She fumbles for words and she can't know it, but she's blushing. "Um, about the other night, I… uh…"

"It's okay." It's all he's said to her lately.

"Can I try again?"

He doesn't answer - she reaches for him anyway, and this time she's ready. This time her hands are gentle and this time he doesn't see fear. She touches him like a spirit instead of like a monster.

This time… this time, she leans in. He stays still.

It takes her a while to find his mouth.


	19. Veteran

Toph is clumsy and inexperienced, but eager and unafraid.

Zuko is a veteran - his body is familiar with intimacy and Toph follows his lead as best as she can.

She's never been touched or kissed this way. Her reaction is visceral - gasping, moaning into his mouth.

"_Shh,"_ he gently hushes her, his hand traveling languidly up her inner thigh.

Her body shudders.

She isn't used to being at anyone else's mercy but she willfully concedes, and he revels in her sensitivity - she gasps and seizes bedsheets in shaking fists.

He silences her impassioned cries with a kiss.


	20. Sanctity

Zuko has fucked every girl he knows (and a few he doesn't).

It's not a fact he's proud of, but it's not a fact he'd change, either, if given the chance. Mai had been his first. Then Katara. Then a drunken escapade with Ty Lee that they both swore to take to their graves. He'd indulged Suki in spiteful revenge-sex after a temporary breakup with Sokka…

Every friendship ended up suffering in the aftermath.

And now Toph. Their perfect friendship.

He realizes, with shame, the sacred bond that's been jeopardized.

_Oh, for the love of Agni, what have I done? _


	21. Imagining

Toph wonders if anyone can tell.

She feels different on the inside, so maybe she's different on the outside, too. She imagines hand prints left on her body, imagines her neck stained with the shape of his mouth… _That's ridiculous,_ she tells herself, but it doesn't help.

Vulnerability isn't something she knows how to cope with. She wants to peel her insecurities off like a layer of dead skin. She wants to go back to being uncaring and hard - this swooning, sighing, lovesick girl is someone she never wanted to be.

She wants Zuko to tell her "it's okay" again.


	22. Hell Hath No Fury

The only person who can scare Zuko as much as his sister is Katara.

She approaches him with the same intense glare she'd had at the Western Air Temple and he knows he's done something wrong.

"Break it off with Toph," she commands.

"What? But, but how did you-"

She explains, "Woman's intuition. After what happened between us, Zuko, after what you did to me… I'll be damned if you do that to another girl ever again. You'll tell her the truth, you'll break it off with her, and you_ will_ do it before you return to the Fire Nation."


	23. Visitor

It is the middle of the night and Zuko is sitting just on the other side of Toph's bedroom door. His back is against the wood and his head is in his hands.

Toph can feel him there. She's gotten out of bed to sit by him in secret, her hand pressed against the wood and feeling the familiar beat of his heart, and the distressed pattern of his breath. She wonders why he won't knock. He must know she would let him in...

He is trying to imagine an ending that doesn't hurt either of them, but he can't.


	24. Liar

He doesn't look at her when he says it.

"The other night was a mistake. We can't be what you want us to be. I'm sorry."

"What… do you mean?"

He swallows, bracing himself for the sound of her heart breaking.

"I don't feel the same way about you, Toph. I just… don't."

But she doesn't react. Instead she boldly approaches him and slides her hand against his chest, pressing it there firmly.

"Say it again."

"I…" He breathes, "Don't. Want you."

"...I don't understand." Somehow he swears she's looking right at him. "Why are you lying?"

_Damn you, Toph. _


	25. Angry

She didn't dare cry in front of him. In fact, she waited until he was long gone on his way back to his homeland before she allowed herself even a single tear.

Now, though, she's locked in her room, silently weeping.

She's humiliated.

Confused.

She'd felt the lie in his soul more vividly than she feels the earth beneath her feet, and the lie had grown thicker each time he denied it. If Toph had less pride she'd have begged him to explain, but no - if there's anyone more stubborn than Zuko, it's her.

She's more angry than sad.


	26. Liar, pt 2

_It was better than the truth,_ he tries to convince himself, and maybe that would be true if he'd told the lie to anyone else - to a girl who could have believed him.

The whole truth is that, no, he doesn't love Toph the way he knows she loves him.

But he _could_ love her...

He could love Toph Beifong more profoundly than he ever loved Katara, and certainly more deeply than Mai…

_Maybe in a different life._

But in this life, it's best he just… try not to think about her anymore.

The Firelord must maintain his loyalties.


	27. Forgotten

"Do you ever wish you could have married for love instead of power?"

Ozai laughs dismissively at his son's question - even as a fallen emperor serving a life sentence, the man's superiority complex is intact.

"_Love?_ The only Love for a Firelord is his love for dominion. A firelord marries politics. Not _love_." He says the word mockingly, spitting it like a slur.

Zuko asks, "Did you ever love mother at all?"

Ozai's demeanor darkens.

"Perhaps once."

"...Did you ever love me?"

The two men consider each other resentfully until Ozai finally looks away and says,

"I don't remember."


	28. Moving Mountains

The turmoil inside her is enough to bring down the walls of Ba Sing Se.

Toph had already known how promiscuous Zuko used to be… she even gave him the nickname "Firelord Fucks-A-Lot" (which he'd been none too pleased about).

_But he should have been different with me._

He has taken what he wanted, and gone without even allowing her the satisfaction of telling her why.

She wants to bend the continents closer together so she can walk right up to him and_ demand_ to know why.

Toph knows exactly what she's worth, and she had thought Zuko knew, too.


	29. Politics, Not Love

There's no reason to put it off anymore - best to get it over with now, before he breaks another heart.

Mai is just as beautiful as ever, but he isn't happy to see her. He doesn't smile, or gesture for a hug; instead he brings his hands together and bows.

"You're looking well," he says, because it's true and because he has nothing else to say.

Mai doesn't bow back. "You're looking… older. You know you have to say it, right?"

He sighs. "Yes."

"So? Let's hear it." She's smug.

Then through his teeth, "Will you be my betrothed?"


	30. The Big News

The announcement arrives by messenger hawk, and Sokka gathers everyone to share the development with them. "Ahem, ladies and gentleman, it is my pleasure to bring you exciting news from the Fire Nation… Zuko is finally engaged!"

The chorus of cheering and laughter is so loud and enthusiastic that no one notices Toph slip away.

She's dizzy. She can hardly feel the ground beneath her feet. Once outside she drops to her hands and knees, desperate for the reassurance that the earth is there for her as she struggles to breathe.

The rain lets her convince herself she's not crying.


	31. Uncle

During the festivities Iroh finds his nephew alone in the courtyard, feeding the turtleducks.

"Firelord Zuko, why aren't you inside celebrating your engagement?"

"There's nothing to celebrate, Uncle. It's politics. Not love."

"Ah. I see you have been speaking to my brother." Iroh disapproves.

"I'm allowed to speak to my father, aren't I?" Zuko is argumentative.

"I just think you should be careful, Zuko, when it comes to taking advice from Ozai."

"I've thought long and hard about it. This is best for my country."

"Hmm. Perhaps."

Zuko won't turn to see the look that his uncle is giving him.


	32. Loyalty

Their sex is usually violent and hateful, but extraordinary. Tonight, though, it's only violent and hateful. When it's over, they're both in pain and unsatisfied and embarrassed. In silence they lay beside each other until Mai asks, "...You were thinking about someone else, weren't you?"

"Yeah."

"Who is she?"

"It doesn't matter."

"Is it that watertribe girl again?"

He won't answer.

"I'm going to be your_ wife,_ Zuko. I deserve to know."

Zuko turns his head to face her. "All you need to know is that I don't love you. "

"And you'll never let me forget that, will you?"

"No."


	33. Glass

_I don't care, I don't care, I don't care._

The mantra isn't working anymore.

Toph usually feels like she is made of rocks and boulders - sturdy and strong and imposing - but now she feels reduced to a simple shard of glass: transparent and so, so breakable. She tells herself that she hates him for it; she does not want him anymore. She will never,_ ever_ forgive him.

...But she knows she would give herself to him again in an instant if he asked…

_I'm going to scratch him out,_ she decides. She'll cancel out the strife he's caused.


	34. Happy and Fair

The Firelord has been hostile and irrational. He snaps and yells and insults his servants. The entire palace staff is walking on eggshells to keep from upsetting him further. Iroh brings him tea in hopes of calming him down.

"You have not been yourself lately, my nephew. Is something wrong?"

Zuko doesn't understand why his uncle asks such questions when he already knows the answers. Instead of responding he looks away petulantly, sipping at his tea.

"If I may offer some advice," Iroh says gently, "Politics isn't everything. A happy and content Firelord is often a fair and rational Firelord."


	35. Weather, pt 3

She'd never gotten to ask him where he went that last time it stormed; why he'd been out in the rain, why he'd gone anywhere at all when he knew they were supposed to be together during bad weather.

It's storming again and she sits up in bed, hugging her knees and rocking herself back and forth to mimic Zuko's soothing movement when he'd hold her. It doesn't work. It feels like betrayal, and not like the comfort that's gotten her through so many storms before.

She hopes it's storming in the Fire Nation. She hopes he can't sleep, either.


	36. Weather, pt 4

Zuko lurches awake in terror, gasping, trembling, sweating. It's quiet, but he feels the static electricity in the air - he knows the thunder is coming.

He knows he's made one of the worst mistakes of his life and suddenly he feels sick to his stomach.

Mai is asking him what's wrong, but he doesn't hear her. He stumbles out of bed and throws the balcony doors open. It only takes a few moments for him to become drenched in rain, and he leans over the railing, feeling like he might retch.

He orders Mai to leave the palace immediately.


	37. Drowning Sorrows

#37

_"Keep 'em coming barkeep!"_

Toph slams her mug down on the table and belches before being overtaken by a fit of giggles. She's easily the youngest person in the tavern, and she's been picking fights and beating grown men in arm wrestling matches.

But now she's too drunk to sit up straight - she sags, leans, catches her balance, and swats away uninvited hands that are groping at her.

_"Get your damn hands off me!"_ Her words are slurred, and the men harassing her don't heed her requests. _"I'm gonna… I'll fucking…"_ But she's too inebriated to fight them off.

#37.5  
>Katara averts her eyes while Toph vomits into a bucket. She'd found the earthbender nearly passed out, being led away by some sleazy men at the tavern, and shuddered to think what could have happened if she didn't get there in time.<p>

"Toph," she says gently, "you need to find a better way to cope. I know he hurt you, but this isn't the way. You can't put yourself in danger because of him."

Toph groans. She wipes her mouth and says "I don't know what you're talking about," but even as she's saying it, the tears begin to flow.


	38. The Lecture

_I have _got_ to stop pissing off women who can kick my ass._

Mai has been ranting and raving at him for hours now. Well no, not hours - it's only been fifteen minutes but it feels like forever.

"I'm not gonna put up with your little dramatic, neurotic episodes when we're married, Zuko. You can't treat me like that. Are you out of your_ mind?_ Who do you think I _am?_ Get your act together. I thought you'd have grown out of your_ shit_ by now."

Zuko is distracted, and muttering insincere apologies.

He wishes he could see Toph.


	39. Invitation

_"Dearest Avatar and friends, you are cordially invited to attend the official engagement ceremonies of our Firelord and soon-to-be-Firelady. A ship will be along for you, should you accept our invitation. Regards, General Iroh."_ Sokka reads the latest message aloud, and everyone is thrilled.

Suki wonders out loud what sort of gifts to give to the happy couple.

Sokka and Aang reminisce about the early days of Zuko and Mai's relationship.

Katara is about to chime in when she notices Toph discreetly digging her fingernails into her elbows.

When she sees Zuko, Katara decides, there will be hell to pay.


	40. Housewife

Mai tries her damndest not to care.

She tells herself she's only in it for the power - the political influence, the status. It isn't a complete lie…

But - and she loathes to admit it - somehow she still loves him.

Somehow she _still_ wants to be with that melodramatic, neurotic, bitter, ill-tempered _freak_ of a man.

She wants to be Zuko's lover more than she wants to be his Firelady.

But if she can only have the latter, well, it's better than getting nothing.

If he can't stay loyal to her, at least he's loyal to his country.


	41. Foreigner

Toph had always felt at home in the Fire Nation Royal Palace when she'd visit, paling around with her best friend when he wasn't hard at work, and enjoying Iroh's company for tea.

She and Zuko used to roam the halls together in the middle of the night, talking and laughing and joking - three things that Zuko had only ever really done with her.

She'd felt special. She'd felt like she was the only person in the world Zuko could be a real human around, save for Iroh.

Now, though, she feels like a foreigner.

She doesn't belong here.


	42. Cowardice

Zuko has walked by Toph's guest room at least ten times by now, pausing a little with each pass as he tries to convince himself to knock.

On the other side Toph sits in anxious, melancholy silence, painfully aware of his presence and his hesitation.

She hears him stop briefly - hears the gentle brush of his fingertips against the door, hears him sigh heavily before heading down the hall once more.

They are both equally disgusted by his cowardice, but they also know that she would not bring herself to listen even if he could bring himself to speak.


	43. Patriot

"You should be ashamed of yourself." Her voice comes from behind him in the courtyard - he shouldn't be surprised that she came looking for him.

"I'm always ashamed of myself," he counters.

Katara rolls her eyes. "Oh, _cry me a river_, you selfish, miserable excuse for a man."

He won't argue with her. She's right, after all.

She says, "They both deserve better than you, you know."

"I know."

"So then make it right. Fix it, Zuko. You can't keep telling half-truths and breaking hearts just because it's easiest for you."

"It's not for me. It's for my country."


	44. Uninhibited

Toph gets drunk at the dinner party, and even Zuko is bothered by her behavior. She cracks rude jokes, makes a mess, and argues with Katara when she tries to take her glass away.

Mai glares at Zuko.

She whispers harshly, "_Do_ something. She's _ruining_ everyone's _dinner._"

"What do you expect me to do?"

"I don't care! Get her out of here!"

Reluctantly, he excuses himself and takes the giggling girl's elbow, shushing her and guiding her out of the dining hall.

Toph says, "_Lighten up,_ Firelord Fucks-A-Lot!"

Zuko hopes her words are too slurred for anyone else to understand.


	45. Pretending

While Toph sleeps it off, Mai and Zuko struggle to seem happy while they entertain their guests.

She is holding his hand, but he doesn't really hold hers back.

She dotes upon him with pet names, but he is hardly referring to her by any names at all.

She keeps nudging him to remind him to smile, but instead of smiling, he clenches his jaw tightly in annoyance.

She understands their relationship is one sided - the other side is just a facade - but she's doing all the work and it isn't fair. She can't pretend for the both of them.


	46. Hangover

"Here. This should help." Iroh presses a teacup into Toph's hands. She's hungover, embarrassed, and glad that Iroh is the only person with her.

"Ugh, man… please tell me I didn't say anything stupid at dinner…"

"Well, you refered to my nephew by a rather inventive nickname, but I don't think anyone else heard. I hope you will forgive Zuko…"

"For what?"

"What he has done to you, and is doing to Mai, is not right."

Toph nearly chokes on her tea, and feels her face get hot. "You knew about that?"

"Are you surprised?"

"I guess I shouldn't be."


	47. Ancestors

Zuko has been alone in the Royal Gallery for hours.

There's only one remaining image of his family all together. The only difference between Zuko now and Ozai then is the permanent scowl burned into Zuko's face.

They were never a happy family.

He remembers growing up with parents who didn't love each other - with a father who was more concerned about patriotism and power than love.

He wonders if Azulon had been that sort of father, too - if Sozin bothered to love his family more than the throne they'd inherit.

He wonders if any of his predecessors died happy.


	48. Weather, pt 5

Each time lightning strikes, Zuko sees his life flash before his eyes. His body tenses, anticipating heat and searing pain. He's sweating and he can't catch his breath. Fear grips his spirit and will not let go until the clouds move on.

This is what storms are like without Toph.

Mai can't figure out what's wrong with him or how to help, but she is trying her best and Zuko wishes her efforts could mean more to him than they do.

But Mai's hands holding his do not feel like comfort or reassurance or love. They just feel like hands.


	49. Plea

"What do you want?" Toph groans at the knock on her door.

"Sorry to bother you…" Mai's subtly shaking voice surprises her so much that for a moment, she forgets the thunder-induced pain in her skull. "I don't know what to do. Zuko's having some sort of_ episode_ and I can't calm him down."

Toph can feel the fear in Mai. What she can't see upon opening the door is the redness of her eyes. Mai nearly begs, "I know you're his best friend… can you help him?"

Toph knows she should say no.

"...I'll see what I can do."


	50. Trauma

In a tone much gentler than what she's known for, Toph talks Zuko back into the present. She reminds him that he is safe - the comet has passed. The war is over. He is the Firelord and no one can hurt him anymore.

_"You're okay. I'm right here. We're fine."_

She struggles to focus through the roar of thunder, and he grips her tighter with each lightning strike, but they each find solace in the other's embrace. In the midst of reliving his past trauma, Zuko is glad Toph is there, and Toph is glad that he needs her.


	51. Confession

In the morning, Toph is gone and Zuko doesn't know when she left. The last thing he remembers is her voice by his ear:

_I love you, Zuko._

She must have thought he was asleep when she said it.

Zuko wishes he hadn't heard her.

A hand touches his shoulder and he flinches. It's Mai. She sits down beside him and hugs him. He doesn't hug back.

"I was so worried," she whispers, combing her fingers through his hair. "You scared me."

"I'm sorry."

As she holds him, he tries to convince himself that Toph's words had been a dream.


	52. Other Woman

Mai goes to thank Toph for her help.

"I don't know what you did, but it worked. I'm glad he has a friend like you."

Toph feels like throwing up. Mai doesn't suspect her at all. Mai should be _screaming_ at her for having an affair with her future husband; not_ thanking_ her for helping him.

She turns her back so Mai won't see the tears welling in her eyes.

"Meh, It was nothing."

"What happened to him last night?"

"Long story." She shrugs. "Maybe he'll tell you about it some time."

Mai sighs. Zuko doesn't tell her _anything_ anymore.


	53. Prayer

"You have been spending a lot of time here lately."

Zuko, kneeling with his head bowed, is interrupted by his uncle's voice close behind him. He opens his eyes, and looks up at the looming portrait of Firelord Ozai. Then instead of turning to face Iroh, he simply says,

"Hello, Uncle."

"May I ask what you're up to, Firelord Zuko?"

The Firelord does not have the energy to lie. His shoulders sink as he breathes, "Praying."

Iroh moves quietly, grunting a little as he lowers his old bones to kneel down beside his nephew.

"Uncle, what are you doing?"

"Praying."


	54. Please, Toph

Toph resolves not to leave her room today. She can't bear crossing paths with Zuko, or even worse, running into Mai.

_Just a few more days_, she reminds herself, lying nearly catatonic in bed. _Then I can go home and try to forget that Zuko and I ever happened at all._

But no, she can't catch a break - the footsteps approaching her door are the Firelord's for sure.

This time he knocks.

She groans.

He says, "Please, Toph…"

She says, "You've got to be_ kidding_ me."

_"Please."_

Since he's been Firelord, Toph hasn't heard Zuko ask for anything twice.

"...Fine."


	55. Impatience

For a few moments they stand together in uncomfortable, tense silence. She can feel him looking at her and he knows she's in tune with his heart and lungs.

"Well?" Toph is impatient.

Zuko can't remember what he came to say.

"Toph, I… I miss you."

"So what?" She tries to sound uncaring.

He reaches to push her overgrown bangs from her eyes - she has a good mind to shove his hand away, but she lets him touch her.

She knows the kiss is coming, and she knows it shouldn't happen, but she makes no moves to stop it.


	56. Breakdown

Zuko is so busy undressing her that he doesn't notice her pushing against his chest.

Toph's pleasured sighs have become whimpers, muffled by Zuko's mouth until she jerks her head aside and says, _"Get off!"_

"Huh?"

"I said GET OFF ME!" Toph_ shoves_ him and he stumbles back to see her face flushed red and teary-eyed. She clutches at her garments, gathering them to cover her breasts.

"Toph, I-"

"What are you _doing?_ What _am_ I to you? Just _get out!_"

She pushes him toward the door and slams it behind him.

He hears her sobbing on the other side.


	57. Common Ground

He's never visited his father twice in the same year, but Ozai isn't surprised to see him.

"How'd you do it?" Zuko is desperate.

"You'll have to be more specific." Ozai relishes the sight of his distraught son.

"How'd you live like this without going insane? I keep fucking up. I'm just like you. I'm trying to be a strong leader and I'm hurting everyone who cares about me to do it!"

"Sacrifices must be made," he leers bitterly.

"Sometimes I wish you'd managed to kill me."

Then Ozai laughs. "And that, son, is something we finally have in common."


	58. Incredible Men(who aren't worth knowing)

Toph isn't crying anymore, but it's mostly because she's lost her voice and run out of tears. Katara is holding her, rocking her gently and petting her hair while she tries to think of anything to say that can make Toph hurt less.

She tells her that she understands.

"I know it's hard not to want him, but... Zuko is just… one of those incredible men who simply isn't worth knowing that way in the end. He's not good for anyone. At least not right now."

Toph knows in her head that it's true, but she can't convince her heart.


	59. Nerve

"I told you to 'fix it,' and you do that by trying to sleep with Toph again?" Katara crosses her arms as she scolds Zuko.

Today, he doesn't have the energy to listen to her berate him. He does't look up from his paperwork as he says, "I'm not in the mood for this, Katara."

"You're not in the _mood?_" She scoffs. "You know, you have a _lot_ of nerve-"

"Was I unclear?" He finally meets her eyes. "You can either leave now on your own accord, or I can have you escorted out. Frankly, I have no preference."


	60. Like Father, Like Son

Iroh raises an eyebrow at his nephew. "You… want to know about Ozai's_ girlfriends?_"

Zuko nods. "As in, did he ever have any?"

"...Several. He was quite like yourself in his youth when it came to women." There is a hint of disapproval in his tone.

"But was there anyone special?"

"If you are asking if my brother was ever in love," Iroh stares into his teacup, "The answer is yes."

"Find her and bring her to me."

Disconcerted, Uncle asks, "May I ask what for?"

"Uncle…" Zuko sighs.

"...Is this an order, my Lord?"

"Yes."

"Then… as you wish."


	61. Stuck

Toph just wants to go home, but they won't let her leave.

"I'm incredibly sorry, Miss Beifong, but we simply cannot authorize a departure without approval from the Firelord."

"Well then get approval!"

"The Firelord does not wish to be bothered."

"Then let _me_ talk to him."

He stammers for a moment before saying, "Actually, his Highness specifically mentioned you…"

The rage that wells up in Toph's body is profound.

_He thinks he can keep me out?_

It takes every ounce of willpower she has to keep from wrenching the metal doors to the throne room from off their hinges.


	62. Tian

62.0

Her name is Tian. She is none too extraordinary in looks, and she appears a woman of little means.

When she is brought before Firelord Zuko, her countenance is anxious and fearful.

Zuko never imagined how intimidating he must look on his throne with orange flames raging behind him, until he sees the look in this woman's eyes.

But then her head tilts to the side and her eyes grow narrow. Tian cautiously breathes,_ "...Ozai?"_

The Firelord struggles to maintain his unflustered demeanor.

He says, "I am Firelord Zuko. Ozai is my father, and I hear you knew him well."

62.5

They talk for a long time, and neither of them can believe what the other has to say about Ozai.

Tian reminisces about kindness and gentleness - a side of Ozai which apparently only she ever became well acquainted with.

But Zuko tells stories of cruelty and abuse. The more he talks, the more unsettled Tian becomes. She says, "No, not _my_ Ozai…"

She covers her mouth with horror.

Her eyes brim with tears.

She shakes her head, denying.

"I don't believe you."

Zuko tells her, "In that case, I can arrange for you to ask him about everything yourself."


	63. Secrets

All palace residents have been ordered to stay in their rooms until further notice. Guards enforce the mandate, sweeping the palace to ensure everyone is accounted for.

Mai demands to see the Firelord, but no one will even respond to her.

Alone in her room (a guard is stationed just outside her door), she paces back and forth.

She stands out on the balcony,

then goes to lie flat on her back in bed,

then sits up, sighs, and lowers her head into her hands.

She thinks that Zuko loves his secrets more than he could ever love anything else.


	64. Dinner

Zuko personally delivers Ozai's meal - it's not the usual prison slop and lukewarm water that he's usually given. Today, the lowly prisoner will eat like a king again. He's even allowed the luxury of chopsticks over having to use his hands.

Ozai's suspicion manifests in a glare as his son places the tray before him. "What's this?"

"Your dinner." They are both surprised by Zuko's gentle tone.

_"Why?"_

"You'll want to be feeling your best today," Zuko hands his father a bundle of clothing, "and looking your best, too. Put these on after you're done eating. You have a visitor."


	65. Proposition

Toph has been antagonizing the guard outside her door. They both know his presence is only a formality.

"You _do_ know that I can bust outta here whenever I want to, right? _And_ that I could take you with my hands tied behind my back?"

The guard isn't supposed to engage in conversation, but he whispers, "Miss Beifong, please… you're going to get me in trouble."

"Yeah, maybe… but if you tell me what's going on with the Firelord," she says sweetly, "I promise to behave…"

The guard doesn't know whose wrath he fears more - Toph's, or the Firelords.


	66. Freed

His hands and feet are bound in chains but otherwise, Ozai looks like royalty again. Upon seeing his reflection for the first time in years, though, he's startled by how poorly prison life has aged him.

"You look fine," his son assures him. "Now come."

Ozai's eyes widen.

Zuko says, "You didn't think I would make her see you in _here_, did you? We're going to the palace."

_Her?_ Ozai is suddenly nervous. Who it could be? He knows Zuko won't answer if he asks.

He doesn't know who is important enough for Zuko to let him leave this hell.


	67. Hello

Walking through the empty palace halls is like walking through his past. Ozai doesn't try to conceal his wonder at how little anything has changed.

They pause by the doors to the garden, and Zuko examines his father critically.

"Wait," he says, surprising Ozai by reaching out to smooth the shoulders of his robe and straighten his collar. "There." Then he pulls open the door.

Tian is waiting by the pond. Her back is turned, but the second Ozai lays eyes on her, he goes pale.

Zuko says darkly, "I've told her about everything you've done. Go and say hello."


	68. Reunion

Zuko watches discreetly from a window. His father looks more human now than ever before.

It's strange for him, seeing Ozai in such close proximity to a woman who isn't his mother. Even stranger is the gentleness in his eyes - sorrow, apology, longing.

Zuko almost feels bitter, but he understands. It was the same way he looked at Katara for years; the way he looks at Toph now.

Ozai's hand is trembling when he reaches out to touch Tian's cheek, and he hesitates when she angles her head away from him.

The Firelord averts his eyes from this private moment.


	69. Wondering

Toph has been mindlessly antagonizing the guard for ages now - it's nice to occupy herself with something other than feeling sorry for herself. She throws petty insults at him and questions his competence.

Still, though, she's uneasy and nervous with wonder.

Everyone who knows Zuko knows him for his secrets, but between the two of them, there had been so few.

She's still so angry at him, and she still just wants to go home, and maybe she really will bust herself out and be on her merry way, but until then, she mostly just hopes he's all right.


	70. Forgiveness and Shame

70

Ozai is down on his knees, wrapping his arms about her waist as best as he can with the chains that limit his movement. He presses his face into her and breathes in, out, and in again.

He doesn't know how Zuko knew about Tian, or how he found her, and he doesn't even care.

It's been… how many years? At least twenty. Maybe thirty. He'd lost track of time.

Neither of them have said anything yet, and Ozai is painfully aware that Tian isn't returning his embrace.

He breathes into the fabric of her blouse,

"Please. Please forgive me."

70.5

_Forgive him?_

Tian lowers herself to the ground to meet the world's greatest tyrant's eyes. Nothing about him seems familiar. She thinks Firelord Zuko is more like the Ozai she remembers than Ozai is now.

"How can I forgive you? I don't even _know_ you."

"That isn't true." He insists, gripping her elbows. She smoothes her hands over his and says,

"You chose a life of misguided obsessions over a life with me. Tell me, Ozai," she urges, "_How_ am I to forgive you? Tell me, and I'll do it."

For the first time in his life, Ozai experiences shame.


	71. Defiance

Toph Beifong has never been known for her patience. After what she is sure has been hours spent sitting and waiting and struggling to be respectful, she finally resolves,

_Fuck this._

She will not sit and be ladylike and respectful while the _jerk_ who broke her heart gallivants about the palace, tossing around mysterious orders and locking people in their rooms.

She will not be compliant anymore, and she does not understand why she was ever compliant in the first place.

"You might wanna stand back," she is polite enough to warn the guard before she bursts through the door.


	72. Begging

From the window he sees Ozai wiping tears from Tian's eyes - she's visibly uncomfortable - she shakes her head and halfheartedly pushes against Ozai's chest, but he won't let her go.

Zuko can't hear them, but he feels the tension from where he stands. Tian grabs Ozai's wrists and shoves them away from her face. Before he can reach for her again, she stands and backs away.

Ozai is begging.

Tian is sobbing, saying "No, no."

Finally, she turns and runs inside.

Zuko is startled when she collapses into his arms and cries.

He doesn't know how to hold her.


	73. Boss

Most of the guards know better than to pick a fight with Toph by now, but those who don't will learn today.

"Settle down, kids," she tells them when they approach her, weapons drawn. "It's best for all of us if you just let me be. Zuko will understand… and if he doesn't, then I'll just kick his ass, too."

She roams the palace halls in search of the Firelord - she will demand to be taken home, and she has no intentions of taking 'not now' for an answer.

She'll yell.

She'll scream.

She'll fight him if she has to.


	74. Storm Clouds

Zuko kneels down to his father's eye level where he sits by the pond.

Even in prison, Ozai has never looked so defeated.

Zuko asks gently, "Was it worth it? Giving her up in favor of power? _Politics, not love_, right? That's what you said." He places one hand upon Ozai's shoulder, encouraging him to look him in the eye. "I need to know if it was worth it."

Instead of looking at his son, he casts his gaze to the darkening storm clouds overhead.

"It serves me right," he says, quiet and low, "that the sun doesn't shine today."


	75. Please

Ozai notices Toph first - he shifts his eyes to where she stands behind Zuko, and the Firelord follows his stare.

Zuko's face goes pale and his palms begin to sweat when he sees her. He isn't aware, but Ozai is watching him closely.

Zuko's voice is hoarse. "What do you want? Can't you see we're busy?"

"I…" Toph can hardly remember why she came. "I want… to go home."

"I can't deal with that right now." He doesn't want her to leave. He also doesn't want to argue.

"What's going _on?_"

"Later, Toph. Please?"

She hates when he says "please."


	76. Choices

Ozai is back in his cell, and he wishes his brief furlough could have been less… _emotional._

Just before his son leaves, he says,

"She would make a terrible Firelady."

Zuko stops, turning to face him.

"What?"

"The Earth Kingdom woman. She's an _awful_ choice."

"Is this your warped idea of offering advice?" Zuko crosses his arms over his chest.

Ozai grips the metal bars until his hands ache. "Tian would have been an _awful choice_. But if I could choose differently…"

He's never looked at Zuko like this before - understanding and urgent.

Zuko says, "...I'll keep that in mind."


	77. Firelady

Nobody seems to be happy with Zuko at the moment.

_Not that anyone _should_ be happy with me_, he thinks.

Mai would be glaring at him if she wasn't so exhausted with his melodramatic, secretive antics. She simply says, "You can't keep treating me like a burden, Zuko."

"What do you mean?" He regrets asking; he doesn't actually care.

"Having me locked up and babysat like that? What _am_ I to you?"

His chest suddenly aches.

Toph had asked him that very same question.

Mai _would_ make an exquisite Firelady...

But he doesn't want a Firelady.

He wants a wife.


	78. Politician

"Did my brother cause you much trouble here today?" Iroh asks, hiding a wry smile behind his teacup.

Zuko's eyes widen. "How did you know about that?"

"You must know by now, nephew. Not a lot gets past me."

With a sigh, Zuko says, "No, he was no trouble at all. Uncle, I think you were right. A happy and content Firelord is often a fair and rational one."

Uncle nods. "Ozai made the mistake of being a politician first, and a man second."

"I'm more like him than I thought, aren't I?"

Instead of answering, Iroh sips his tea.


	79. The Safety of the Crew

Toph doesn't wait for him to knock before she opens the door; she'd heard him coming from down the hall.

He goes to stand in the middle of the room and says, "...Hi."

She says, "I want to go home."

"Close the door."

"What does that have to do with-"

"I said _close the door._"

She slams it shut hard enough that Zuko flinches. "What is your _problem?_"

He swallows and says in a mildly trembling voice, "...There's another storm coming. I can't send out any ships until it passes."

It's true, but he's really just asking her to stay.


	80. Weather, pt 6

They hold each other during the storm.

This one isn't too intense, but their embrace is passionate all the same.

She misses him so much she could cry (but today she manages not to.)

He finds sanity in her arms. Right now, between the lightning strikes and between the low, distant rolls of thunder, Zuko is happy. He's content.

Toph feels the contentment in his body; she doesn't think she's ever felt his heart beat so steadily.

When the storm fades, though, his anxiety returns.

He presses his lips to her forehead, kisses her there, and says,

"Please don't go."


	81. Hopeless

Mai is losing hope with every second that passes.

Since she's been living in the palace, Zuko hasn't said a single voluntary word to her.

It's no secret that his heart has been elsewhere, but she'd imagined that things could get better between them with time - that once they were married, he'd finally settle down and learn to love her again, or at least learn to just enjoy her company again…

But unless it's part of his halfhearted efforts to maintain the illusion of a relationship, he seems to avoid her at all costs.

Mai feels like a fool.


	82. Apology

Zuko and Mai aren't looking at each other. He knows he's supposed to apologize now, so he does.

"I'm sorry." He isn't, actually.

"We're not getting married, are we?"

"No."

"But we're such a formidable team…"

"Yeah, we are." He almost smiles. "But that isn't enough, and I think you know it."

"Can you at least tell me," she pauses to tame the quivering in her voice, "who she is?"

Then with a sigh, "It's Toph."

"That… that slobby, blind earthbender with the bad manners? What do you even _see_ in her?"

"...I like the way she looks at me."


	83. Truth

Toph has already begun packing when Zuko lets himself in.

"You can't leave," he implores.

"You can't stop me."

"...The engagement is off. I'm not marrying Mai."

Toph pauses, but doesn't turn to face him. She convinces herself to ask, "What happened?"

"I don't love her."

"No kidding."

"Toph, be serious. I'm trying to tell you that…"

_"What?"_

He grabs her shoulder and turns her around; he wants to see her eyes when he says it.

"That I _do_ want you."

Her hand shakes when she presses it against his chest.

"Say it again."

"I want _you_. I love you."


	84. Thinking

Zuko knows that_ I need time to think_ is among the scariest things a woman can say to a man; right beside _we need to talk_ and _I have something to tell you._

Toph needs time to think.

And then they'll need to talk, and then she'll have something to tell him.

While she's alone thinking, he's busy being lectured by his advisors.

"You can still ask Mai to return, my Lord."

They say what a great Firelady she'd make.

He doesn't want to hear another word about Fireladies, political gain, or heirs.

He just wants Toph to forgive him.


	85. Heart of Hearts

It's rare that she ever declines a cup of tea, but today Toph doesn't have much of an appetite for anything. Iroh isn't pushy, though; he lets her be.

"Do you think," she asks, quiet and unsure, "me and Zuko could still… you know… be together? After what he did?"

"You've forgiven him for far greater crimes," Uncle points out.

"Yeah..."

"But ultimately, if you stay true to your heart, any decision you make will be the right one."

She laughs a small, humorless laugh. "Maybe you're right. Zuko wasn't true to his heart, and look where _that_ got us."


	86. Affection

She finds him on his balcony.

"Hey, jackass." She teases before sitting beside him. Or at least, Zuko _hopes_ she's teasing. Regardless, he's glad to hear her calling him names again.

"Hey."

She leans into his shoulder and says, "You're full of shit, you know."

"I've heard."

"But I've always known that about you."

Together, they sigh.

Then she rams her fist into his ribs.

"Ow! _That_ didn't feel like affection!"

"Because it _wasn't_," she sneers. "It was _payback. This_ is affection."

She presses her mouth gently to his.

Then she says, "So... I hear you're looking for a Firelady."


	87. Inconsequential

Ozai is the first to know; Zuko brings the news with tea and a hot meal.

They eat together like a real father and son.

"Do you think I'm making the right decision?" Zuko asks.

Ozai won't make eye contact. "It doesn't matter."

"Of course it matters, dad." He hasn't called him _dad_ in years. "What will my people think of this?"

"It doesn't matter what _anyone_ thinks," Ozai insists. "_You_, son, are the Firelord. Other people's _opinions_ are inconsequential at best unless _you_ decide otherwise."

Zuko sips his tea, considering.

"I never wanted to be that kind of king."


	88. Perfect

The council is not pleased, and they _implore_ their Firelord to reconsider.

"But your majesty, a Firelord has _never_ wed outside of his nation!"

"There's a first time for everything." Zuko is dismissive.

"You can't be engaged_ twice_ in the same week to two different women, my Lord-"

"Excuse me? I'm an _emperor_. I can do whatever I want."

"You're opposition will paint you as immature and unfit. They will have a field day slandering you!"

Zuko shrugs, indifferent. "Let them have their field day."

"But… but… Miss Beifong is a _drunk!_"

At that, he smiles fondly.

"Well, nobody's perfect."


	89. Bitter

Their friends are confused, but happy nonetheless.

They ask what happened with Mai, and Zuko just shrugs and says, "long story." It isn't really, though - he just knows that it isn't his story to tell.

Sokka complains about now having to find new gifts while Suki whacks his arm and tells him to behave.

Aang is insisting that he "saw this coming a mile away."

Katara is mostly quiet, but she smiles politely. "Congratulations, Toph." She hugs her friend, but it doesn't go unnoticed how she pointedly ignores the Firelord.

Zuko sighs. He was afraid Katara would be like this...


	90. Drunk in Love

Toph gets drunk at the engagement party and this time, Zuko gets drunk right along with her.

They laugh and they joke, they tease their guests, and they dance, even though neither of them really know how, or even like to dance in the first place.

Zuko knows he's making a fool of himself in front of some very important people, but he can hardly be bothered to care.

Iroh is watching, and he's never seen his nephew so happy (though admittedly, the alcohol is probably lending a hand). He's never seen him laugh so hard, or smile so wide.

...

**Author's Note: **Wow! Only ten chapters left! Thanks so much to all my readers who've stuck with me this long; when I started this drabble series it was just for shits and giggles. I didn't expect to get so engrossed in it, and I certainly didn't expect people to enjoy it this much! What an honor! :D Some of you may be pleased to know that once this is over, I'll be adapting it into a full-length series! We'll get more details on what went down between Zuko and Katara, more info on Ozai and Tian, and of course, a nice helping of good old fashioned mindless, sappy romance and angst! With any luck, the first chapter of the adapted series will be posted at the same time of the last chapter of these drabbles, and I hope you'll all continue to keep up with it!

Thank you, and much love to you all!

Love,  
>-FireLordFrowny<p> 


	91. Quality Time

91

Dinner with his father is starting to become something they both look forward to in a sad, depraved sort of way.

"The wedding will happen by the end of the month," Zuko says around a mouthful. "I know it's soon, but I figured it's best to seal the deal now so the council quits nagging me."

"Those useless old bastards still won't mind their own business, I see." Ozai almost sounds lighthearted, and Zuko manages a laugh.

"They _are_ pretty nosy, huh?"

The levity doesn't last, though.

Before lifting his teacup, Ozai says, "Reminds me of the good old days."

91.5

Zuko asks the question before he can talk himself out of it.

"Would you like to come? To the wedding?"

It's rare that Ozai shows signs of surprise, but his son _has_ been full of surprises lately.

When he doesn't answer, Zuko says, "You're my father. It's only right that you're there. I won't let you say no."

"Well. Who am I to question the will of the Firelord?" He hesitates. "I… have a favor to ask."

"A favor?"

"The wedding day… I'd like it to be a day when the sun is shining."

Then with a sigh, "We'll see."


	92. Bitter, pt2

When she finds him alone, Katara says to Zuko, "_Now_ you decide to marry for love? _Really?_"

He tries not to be annoyed. "Katara, please don't stand there and act like you want me back. We both know better than that."

It's true. She _doesn't_ want him back. And she doesn't know why she's so bothered.

"But-"

"What would you like me to say? That I wish it could be you?"

He knows her silence is a shameful "yes."

He says, "Well I don't. And neither do you."

She knows he's right, but the bitterness is strong in her heart.


	93. Laughter

Toph isn't graceful or ladylike or polite, and the palace staff is none too thrilled that she will be living with them.

While she cracks jokes at the seamstresses who are measuring her for her new royal robes, Zuko stifles his laughter, and is forgiving of the resentful glances cast at him by the victims of Toph's antics.

"Toph, try to be nice." He suggests, barely able to keep a straight face. He says to the disgruntled women, "I promise, you'll warm up to her soon."

But Toph has missed hearing him laugh too much to let up just yet.


	94. Understanding

Mai has asked to speak with Toph before the wedding, and against her better judgement, Toph agrees.

"I'm not here to fight," Mai says. "I'm not mad at you."

"Then uh... what do you want?"

What Toph can't see is the tears brimming in Mai's eyes.

"I just… I need for you to promise me that you'll take good care of Zuko."

"Honey, you don't know me if you think I'm going to be 'taking care of' anyone." She'd meant to joke, but Mai isn't amused. So Toph amends with a sigh, "Of course. _Of course_ I'll look after him."


	95. Young Love

95

"We would have been miserable together," he says to Mai.

"I know." It's true, and part of her is truly relieved. But another part - the larger part - can't stop being angry.

"We'd have probably ended up killing each other."

"Or ourselves," she adds, and for the first time in years they share a small laugh. Their dark sense of humor is the only thing left that they have in common and for a small moment, they remember what loving each other felt like when they were kids.

"Mai…" Zuko sighs, turning away. "I really am sorry. For everything.

95.5

This time when he apologizes, he really means it.

"I shouldn't have treated you that way," he says. "When I told you that I don't love you… it wasn't completely true."

She won't ask him to explain, but her silence begs the question.

"I do love you, Mai. Just… not the way that I used to. After everything I went through… the person I used to be who wanted to _be with_ you just doesn't exist anymore. But I do love you."

Finally Mai says, "Honestly, I'm just glad you're finally starting to figure out what loving someone even means."


	96. Son

Ozai sees so much of himself in his son, and he thinks maybe on some level thats why he burned him all those years ago. But now, as he prepares to watch Zuko make the choice he wishes he'd been able to make in his youth, he realizes he regrets scarring him.

Zuko had many chances and every excuse to follow the same hateful path as Ozai, but even as a boy, he always managed to choose _good _when it truly mattered.

Someday, Ozai decides, after he finds the right words, he will tell his son that he is sorry.

...

**Author's Note: **Hi, everyone! So sorry for the lack of updates lately; I'm trying to space them out so that I can post the first chapter of the full-length adaptation on the same day as the last chapter of the drabbles. Thank you all for your patience; I hope you'll be happy to know that the adaptation is well underway, and I'm hoping to start sharing it with you guys within the next week or two!

So much love,  
>FireLordFrowny<p> 


	97. Sweet Revenge

The sun arrives with hardly a day to spare. Zuko is standing out on his balcony, thinking less about how relieved he is that the weather has passed, and more about how pleased his father will be.

He thinks, _some things never change. _

Toph is beside him, holding his hand. The happiness she feels in him is a new kind. "I hope you realize," she says, "that I'm going to spend _at least _a decade getting back at you for all the shit you pulled."

Zuko had expected - and hoped for - nothing less.

"I wouldn't have it any other way."


	98. Sunshine and Second Chances

98

Tian won't look Zuko in the eyes. He looks too much like Ozai.

"You wouldn't begin to believe," he tells her, "all the horrible things my friends have forgiven me for."

"What does that have to do with me?"

With a sigh, Zuko says, "I can't ask you to forgive my father. I can't ask you to give him another chance. But I _can _tell you that over the years, I've learned that nobody can change if they're never given the chance to do so."

Tian's voice shakes. "You think Ozai deserves another chance."

"I think it's up to you."

98.5

It is the morning of his son's wedding. Ozai knew he'd be getting a visitor, but he hadn't expected it to be her.

Tian's hands are clasped delicately in front of her. She says, "...Hello."

Ozai only stares, and it's impossible to tell in the dim prison-cell light, but his cheeks are flushing red. "What are you doing here?" He wishes she hadn't seen him this way.

"Would you like to go out? For a walk? With me? It's a beautiful day. The sun is out."

He nods, and she smiles.

"I'll help you get cleaned up," she tells him.

...

**Author's Note: **Holy crud! Only two chapters left! I hope I've done a good job so far of wrapping everything up... I'm almost ready to start posting the full length version! :D Are you guys ready to find out where Zuko went during the storm that one night? Are you ready to hear more about Ozai's backstory? More about Mai's perspective? More dirt about what's got Katara so bitter? Well then I hope you'll all continue keeping in touch! I'm having a lot of fun and I hope every one of my readers is, too. Please don't hesitate to review or drop me a PM if you have any questions or comments or suggestions!

With love

-FireLordFrowny


	99. The Loser-Lord

Mai, Katara, and Tian are huddled close and conversing quietly behind their wine glasses with secretive smiles. They're nodding, laughing and rolling their eyes.

"They're talking about us like dogs, no doubt." Ozai says to his newlywed son while he glares at the women across the room.

"Probably. But I think they've earned that right, don't you?"

It's the new Firelady who answers, though. "Damn straight! Now if you'll ex_cuse_ me, I'm gonna go indulge in the trash-talking." She pats Ozai's shoulder. "Catch you later, Loser-Lord."

Ozai leers after her. Then to his son, "You have... _interesting taste_ in women."

...

**Author's Note: **My deepest apologies for the latest wait between chapters! I'm working really hard on quite a few things at the moment, including and especially piecing together the first bit of the adaptation series. I hope you'll all forgive me! But hopefully to make up for it, you'll all head over to my latest Toph/Zuko oneshot! It's a modern AU that I wrote by request entitled "Now Three." Go check it out, and I hope you enjoy it! In the mean time, I'll really put my nose to the grindstone and get ready to post the last chapter of these drabbles, and the first bit of the adaptation!

So much love,

-FireLordFrowny


	100. The Royal Family

#99.5

"How long do we have to sit like this?" Toph complains, fidgeting. "These clothes are itchy."

"Until the painter is done," Ozai says for the third or fourth time, glaring at her from the corner of his eye.

"Be nice, Ozai." Tian lectures, trying to inconspicuously adjust the sleeve of her gown.

Toph snickers. "Yeah, Loser-Lord. _Be nice_."

Zuko can't help but laugh. "Can you guys behave for _two seconds?" _

"This was a horrible idea," Ozai says, and Tian nudges him with an elbow.

"Honey, _smile!" _

The Royal portrait artist has grown exhausted of asking them all to hold still.

#100

Iroh finds Zuko and Toph in the gallery.

"Sorry to interrupt," he says.

"No problem," Toph answers as Iroh comes to join them before the newest portrait.

"What a beautiful family."

It's true, somehow, in a strange, broken way. Of all the paintings of all the Firelords and Firelords' families here, this is the only one that exudes any amount of warmth.

"I never even knew it could be like this." Zuko takes Toph's hand. "I didn't think this was possible here."

"_This_," Iroh gathers them both into his arms, "Is the Royal Family the Fire Nation has always needed."

...

**Author's Note: **FIN! It's done! Over! Wow! I gotta say, in the beginning I did NOT plan for it to end this way. At all. So I hope most of you are pleased with how everything worked out, and I hope you'll forgive the dose of cheesiness in the final line of dialogue. I mean, it's Uncle. We can forgive cheesiness from him, right? Anyways, as promised, the first chapter of the full length fic will become available like TWO MINUTES after I post this. Oh my god. Oh my god. Oh my god. I hope I haven't hyped it up so much that it doesn't live up to your expectations now. D: Anyways, you should all head on over and check it out. It'll be called "Weather." :) Are you ready to learn more about Ozai's past? Are you ready to find out what happened between Katara and Zuko? And about where he went that night during the storm? Oooooh, so exciting!

Thanks SO MUCH for sticking around for so long!

So much love,  
>-FireLordFrowny<p> 


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